Blogs from Lancashire, England, United Kingdom, Europe

The car with no name also known as Clint was parked up on a half full National Trust car park next to the Leeds to Liverpool Canal. It was midweek. The children are still at school and Clint had just been given a much needed run out of one and a half hours. When we started him up the voice control refused to work and the display told us the battery was getting flat. He needed a long drive to charge him up. Something he had not had for some weeks . Indifference has kept us in. What had discharged the battery was anyones guess. Not using the car. The alarm systems and dash cams running down the battery. We had no clues from the all singing and all dancing display. The drive took us out ... read more

The fortunes of a seaside resort can be fickle. We know this, growing up in the North East Premier Seaside Resort. The visions of upmarket Victorian society can be lost in the mists of time. A lot changed in the period between 1870 and 1970. Two World Wars. A beach, no longer flat enough to race motorbikes or attempt land speed records. Cheap holidays to Spain and beyond. In recent years, the not so desirable has once again become fashionable. There has been talk in certain circles of Saltburn becoming the 'new" Brighton, although the "new" Brighton could indeed be Ramsgate. All of which has in many ways nothing at all to do with Morecambe, but in other ways has everything to do with Morecambe. Just substitute the Zetland for the Midland. The question is where ... read more

Without the need to find a new parking space at 9am meant that this morning was a more leisurely affair, which is just as well because, unusually for me, I slept in in till 8.30am! Yesterday's large breakfast had been a bit overfacing, so this morning, after cereals, I just had a 'Queens Hotel bagel' - a toasted bagel filled with a suasage patty smothered in cheese, bacon, fried egg and all dressed with sweet chilli jam. Around 10am I sauntered out and after retrieving the car, drove a couple of miles to the Fairhaven sandhills, parking not far from the house in which George Formby lived for many years until his death in 1961. There is a blue plaque on the gatestone explaining this. Dressing up warmly in my big coat I took a wander ... read more

For quite a number of years now, my mantra has been 'when was the last time you did something for the first time?', probably born out of an increasing realisation of advancing years, but also from the understanding that as a youngster, most experiences were 'for the first time', but with age comes a foreshortening of horizons, and there are far fewer 'new experiences'. However, an unexpected set of circumstances have contrived to ensure that I am not missing out on a 'new experience', that is, taking a holiday in December! Now this won't be anything unusual for many people, but possibly their winter holidays involve an exotic sun-soaked location or the glittering slopes and après-ski delights of Klosters or Bad-Zermat. For me, however, it is the wind-blown mudflats of Lytham St Annes. But at least ... read more

Where in the world is Gabby the motorhome? She is parked up on a car park in Lytham St Annes near to Blackpool. £7 a night and an enlightened council who welcome motorhomes. There are a few cars here and one other motorhome. The dunes shelter us from the sea. WE are on a bus route to Blackpool. What more could we want? Why are we here ? Well tomorrow we are having a new Lithium battery for the motorhome fitted in Bamber Bridge so a trip to Blackpool seemed quite a sensible idea. Let's rewind and go back a bit to our holiday and last night in France. We slept well at Gravelines and set off early in the morning. It was dark and for the first time we saw migrants trying to get over ... read more